He Knows
by Ravensbleeding
Summary: Naruto knows that Sasuke doesn’t need him. He knows that Sasuke would be fine on his own without him. He knows that Sasuke can ditch him at any moment. He knows this. They both know it. But Naruto lives with it.


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Hey peoples. Okay, so this is a story I wrote only about three or four days ago and although I'm a bit…worried, I guess, about putting this up here, I decided to anyway even though most of the people I asked to read it and beta it never responded. So here it is. The first thing I've written in, well, forever. It's T just to be safe.

Enjoy!

Oh, before you start reading, I suggest you ignore the meaning behind the bolded words. I mean, read them and take them into account, of course or the sentence will make no sense but don't put the emphasis on them like you normally would. They're meant to be read normally but there's a reason they're bolded. As for the italicized words, those you can put as much emphasis on as you'd like. Those were meant to be emphasized.

I know you think I'm crazy, but just bear with me.

And no, I don't own Naruto. Or Sasuke. Or any of the others in the story. I just own the story. Yay me. ^^"

And sorry for any mistakes! I used spellcheck over ten times and looked over the story quite a few more before I even thought of putting up here, but there are somethings that I just probably missed. Also, I'm a little comma-happy. As in, I put too many commas in or so everyone says. Just letting you all know.

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Naruto knows that Sasuke doesn't need him.

He knows that Sasuke would be fine on his own without him. He knows that Sasuke does better on his own, that he'd be a lot _happier _with Naruto out of the picture even though he'd never admit it. He knows that Sasuke would be fine without anybody there at all.

He knows that Sasuke can ditch him at any moment; they both know it. It's unspoken, but it's there. They both know that the raven-haired man can just up and leave any time he pleases. And to Naruto it's a horrible feeling knowing that he'll wake up one day to find Sasuke gone.

He knows this.

They both know it.

_**But**_ Naruto _lives_ with it.

Sasuke knows that Naruto is happy with him around. He doesn't know why that is, doesn't really want to know, but he does. He knows that Naruto would _die _if he left. He knows that every day Naruto looks at him when he wakes up and wonders, "_**What **_is still keeping you here?"

Because they both know that _**he**_ could go anytime he wanted. Nothing's stopping him. Certainly not Naruto.

He knows this well.

Naruto probably knows this better.

Sakura knows that every day Sasuke stays is just another day that Naruto dies inside. She knows that it's slowly killing the blonde to be with him but it'd kill him sooner to be away. She knows that Sasuke has no reason to stay, knows that he _**doesn't **_care less about what happens to Naruto and the rest of the people of Konoha.

She knows that Sasuke _will _up and leave someday. It's inevitable.

She knows this.

Sasuke knows this.

Naruto knows this.

Kiba knows that Naruto's hurting. He _smells _it. It's not a foul smell; it's sickly sweet and sometimes Kiba can't stand to be around the man any longer than he has to be, yet he knows that it only hurts the blonde when he runs off in a hurry just to escape him. He knows the cause of the blonde's pain, knows there's nothing he can do to stop it. All he can do is watch.

And _**know**_.

But everyone knows.

Naruto knows.

Sasuke knows.

_Everyone_.

Hinata knows that this _**is**_ killing her slowly. She can't stand by and just watch as the boy, man, she loves falls apart. But she knows that he's been falling apart for a while now. Since before Sasuke came back. Since before any of this even started, the blonde was falling apart. It just hadn't been noticeable back then.

But now she knows that it's always been happening. And she knows that he'll completely fall apart soon. It's inevitable. She just wonders _**why**_ this had to happen to _him_**.**

So does Sakura.

So does Kiba.

So does everyone else.

_**Sasuke**_ knows that Naruto is dying anyway, even with him around. He knows that the blonde doesn't have much left. He knows that if he left then Naruto would just give up, possibly even end his own life. But he also knows that if he remains, under these circumstances, with nothing changing, the blonde will die of all the stress and hurt Sasuke brings him by just looking at him.

But he knows that even through all of that hurt and the questions of 'why?' that go unspoken, the blonde would like to keep it this way, with nothing changing.

Sasuke knows this and he doesn't care who else knows.

Naruto knows that he's dying. He _knows_. He knows that he probably doesn't have much longer. But he doesn't want Sasuke to go. He knows that if Sasuke leaves he'll just die faster, fall harder. But if Sasuke doesn't go…Naruto knows that'll kill him as well, but he doesn't care if he dies. He's happy as long as Sasuke _**stays**__._

This much he knows.

He knows a lot of things, if he thinks about it.

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Now that you've read the story go back and find all the bold words I told you to kinda ignore earlier. And as you find a bold word, you should probably write it down on a sheet of paper. Cause those bold words make up the last sentence of this story. (And you thought it was over with, didn't you?) Or, if you really just don't feel like it…or can't get it, which is likely to happen cause I've probably screwed up somewhere though I've checked it thrice…you can always just ask, and I'll tell you.

So anyways, I hoped you enjoyed it or at least thought it was a semi-valuable waste of your time.

Remember that reviews make me happy and criticism is accepted. If you have serious issues with the story for whatever reason, however, I'd prefer that you just send me a PM or something.

Well, have a great rest of the day, night, whatever it is. ^^


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